Reaction was swift and varied Wednesday as the five Catholic dioceses in New Jersey released the names of 188 priests and deacons the dioceses said had been credibly accused of sexual abuse against children over the years. Of those listed, 109 are dead; the others have been removed from ministry.

The release of the lists drew comment from parishioners who showed up for weekday Masses, from lawyers who have represented abuse victims, and from victims.

Some had conflicted reactions, viewing the release of the names as a positive step — but not enough.

The French Gothic Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J., shown June 9, 1999,(Photo: Associated Press)

Eugene Getter, a longtime parishioner at St. Peter the Apostle in River Edge, was pleased the Archdiocese of Newark released the names. “It’s a step in the right direction as far as healing goes,” Getter said.

But, he added, “in a lot of people’s minds, it’s too late.”

Getter said the allegations haven’t broken his faith in God, but they have broken his faith and desire to donate to the archdiocese’s annual appeal, since it’s not clear how much of his donated money would go toward attorney fees to settle abuse lawsuits instead of helping people in need.

“A lot of money — we don’t know much — is going toward payment of defending these priests,” he said. “That’s made a lot of people angry.”

Others talked about how the scandal appears to have reduced churchgoing by younger generations. “Younger people have a lot of things going on, and many don’t ever go to church,” said Betty Luton, 84, outside Holy Trinity Church in Hackensack, where two of the named priests had served. “This isn’t helping.”

She said she thinks the Catholic Church was slow to address the issue.

“They handled it poorly in the beginning,” she said. “At least now they are acknowledging it, but it should have been addressed before.”

Some felt vindicated by the lists.

“Every single person I named in my book is on the Diocese of Trenton’s list,” said Bruce Novozinsky, author of “Purple Reign, Sexual Abuse and Abuse of Power in the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey.”

“But when it came out in 2012, the spokesperson for the diocese called it a fabrication,” he said. “I knew I was telling the truth. I had the facts. I offered them to review the papers and they declined. They knowingly moved these priests around, knowing what was in the records.

“I feel for the victims today,” Novozinsky said. “But I also feel good for them because now all five of the dioceses are acknowledging that they basically lied. My hope is that victims come forward and get compensation or whatever they need for closure.”

Kevin Waldrip, one of those victims, said he was gratified when he scanned the list and spotted the name Richard Galdin, the Newark priest who sexually abused him when he was 13, forever marring his life. “I was glad to see that the list had as many names as it did,” said Waldrip, 67, of Old Bridge. “They didn’t try a complete coverup. My abuser was arrested and pled guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison, so they couldn’t have possibly left him off. He was a multiple offender.”

But others said the list is clearly incomplete.

“Unfortunately, there is too little and too late. Not all of the people who abused children are on this list,” said Robert Hoatson, a former priest who is an advocate for clergy abuse victims. “I know guys who are working who should not be in ministry. Hopefully that will come out soon.

“All of a sudden we see dioceses moving like this,” he said. “Where were they all these years when I’ve been fighting for victims like hell and got nothing but maltreatment from them? Now the bishops are suddenly enlightened because of the possible of civil accountability.”

Greg Gianforcaro, a New Jersey-based attorney who has represented over 200 clergy abuse victims, also said there are many names not on the list that should be. He said, for instance, that he represented someone who had been abused by a priest many years ago in Bergenfield, and the church paid a settlement in 2016.

But the priest’s name was not on the list released Wednesday by the Newark Archdiocese, Gianforcaro said. “I can tell you my client looked at the list and was extremely shocked,” he said. “I don’t understand why he’s not on the list.”

When Joe Capozzi saw the list, he felt relieved. “It’s a good day,” he said.

The Ridgefield native, who accused Monsignor Peter Cheplic of molesting him multiple times when he was a teenager and young adult, attended St. Matthew's Church in Ridgefield, where Cheplic served from 1972 to 1985.

Cheplic’s name was on the list the Newark Archdiocese released Wednesday. It indicated he had multiple victims.

Now a filmmaker living in Connecticut, the 49-year-old Capozzi said he feels a sense of vindication. When he first came forward, he was viewed as a liar, he said. Now, he said, everyone sees the truth.

“I was believed, and so were the other people who accused him,” Capozzi said. “Even though we don’t get our day in court, there is still a sense of vindication.”

But he said his heart aches for all the other survivors whose abusers are not on the list. “There are so many names that are not there,” he said.

Gerald Williams, a partner at Williams and Cedar law firm, which is handling multiple clergy abuse claims in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, said he was not surprised by the size of the list. "It’s defined in a way that limits the number, because it lists those that the church considers credible allegations,” he said.

“That’s not the whole list of abuser priests,” Williams said. “This is something that still needs to be brought out to the open. It’s the church that is defining what’s credible. We’ve seen situations where if there’s only been one accuser the church won’t consider it credible. That’s precisely the wrong way to go about investigating sex abuser cases.

“I imagine there will be quite a few survivors disappointed with the size of this list,” Williams said.